Chelsea remains without kit sponsor: Commercial director has resigned.

Resignation of Kasper Stilswig from Chelsea

According to The Sun: Kasper Stilswig, the head of the Chelsea club, has resigned after the club failed to secure a new kit sponsorship deal.

It is reported that Stilswig, who served as the chief revenue officer, tried to attract several potential sponsors over the summer.

Kasper Stilswig has left Chelsea after failing to secure a kit sponsor Chelsea is the only club in the Premier League without a sponsorship deal

However, the Chelsea owners rejected these proposals as the amounts did not meet their valuations of £55 million.

It is now known that a consortium led by Clearlake Capital is looking to secure between £60 and £65 million for the sponsorship rights after the club increased its status by winning the renewed Club World Cup.

Searching for a new sponsor

The club management is seeking not only a profitable deal but also a long-term partnership with a company that will have an impact on the digital world of the 21st century.

A deal worth £60 million or more would allow Chelsea to rise in the rankings of clubs, like Man City, which receives £67.5 million annually from Etihad, and Man United, whose contract with Snapdragon is estimated at around £60 million per year.

Rumors suggest that among the potential partners was the Saudi airline Riyadh Air, but Chelsea remains the only club without a kit sponsor.

Stilswig is the second high-ranking club official to leave Chelsea in the past year.

The club's last long-term sponsorship deal was with the mobile operator Three for an amount of £40 million per year.

This contract ended at the end of the 2022/23 season, the first year under new management, which took over the club from Roman Abramovich in May 2022.

Chelsea started the 2023/24 season without a kit sponsor and signed a deal with Infinite Athlete for the remainder of the season in September 2023.

The team actually played the last season without a name on the chest, finishing a short-term deal with the Dubai-based company DAMAC for the final matches.

id='6379730172112' data-video-id='6379730172112' data-account='5067014667001' data-player='default' data-usage='cms:WordPress:6.5.6:2.8.6:javascript' data-embed='default' class='video-js' data-application-id='' controls style='width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;'>

Stilswig joined Chelsea in November 2023 after working in some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

The Dane began his career at Barcelona and then spent eight years as global sponsorship director at Man United and three years at Fulham.

After Stilswig's entry into Chelsea, the club's then CEO, Chris Yurasik, praised his "commercial and football experience".

Yurasik himself left the club in September 2024 after just 15 months in the position.

Now, Stilswig has left the club less than two years after his entry.

The development of the situation at Chelsea is notable, as Stilswig's resignation reflects broader difficulties the club faces in acquiring sponsors in the modern football environment. The club, which has set ambitious goals after winning the Club World Cup, is trying to find a partner that not only influences financial figures but also aligns with their image and ambitions in the digital world.